The present invention relates to automotive lift systems and, more particularly, automotive lift systems in which the lifting means thereof must be situated at a below-ground level relative to the plane or level at which the automotive technicians are to operate.
In the prior art of automotive lifts it is commonplace to sink the housing of a hydraulic lift assembly in-ground at the automotive work site so that only the extensible portion of the lift means is visible to the automotive technicians. It is also known in the art to provide a so-called pit or trench about the area or location of a hydraulic lift to provide for use in installation and servicing of the lift assembly. In such systems the means of stabilization of the lift means relative to the ground or surface level bears no relationship to the pit or trench within which the lift means is located. In other words, in the prior an of automotive lift systems, it is typical to either embed the entire hydraulic lift assembly within the ground or to provide a massive ground level platform, typically of steel or concrete, from which the hydraulic or lift assembly is suspended. Examples of such art appear in U.S. Pat. No. 2,015,357 (1936) to Weaver, and No. 2,588,518 (1952) to Grushon.
In addition the prior art, as best known to the inventor, does not provide any system having environment-defining in-ground regions within which an automotive lift assembly maybe mounted, nor does there exist automotive lift assembly suspension means having an integrated relationship to any environment-defining region about the lift assembly, whether such means be hydraulic or non-hydraulic.
A consequence of the state of the art, as above set forth, is that the inground environment surrounding an automotive lift site is susceptible to chronic leaking, fluid contamination and the like, with attendant inevitable release or oozing of liquid from any hydraulic system. Further, the serving of in-ground hydraulic systems, whether or not provided with a pit or trench of the above-referenced type, is typically an awkward and time consuming operation. Further, the use of ground support means for hydraulic lift systems having no mechanical relationship to the pit or trench area has acted to increase the cost of automotive lift systems and to render more difficult access to portions of such systems as the same typically becomes necessary, over time, to accomplish servicing and repair of such systems. As such, in many prior art automotive lift configurations, it is not unusual, in order to effect given repairs of a faulty system, for service personnel to be required to jackhammer out large areas of concrete support means to gain access to the necessary portions of a hydraulic lift system. Accordingly, the effectuation of major repair to state of the art hydraulic systems typically involves commitment of much time (on the order of many days) and dollars.
Further, prior art in-ground automotive lift systems cannot, in general, be repaired by a simple lifting of a hydraulic or other lift means off of a support journal, that is, the complete removal of the same from the pit or trench and the replacement thereof with a non-defective unit. Rather, in the art of record it is necessary to effect repairs of hydraulic lift systems in situ, as opposed to by the removal thereof from the pit or trench and the replacement thereof by a new or re-built lift means.
Also, as a result of the above set forth limitations in the art, it is, as a practical matter, not possible to relocate an automotive service station or other facility at which automotive lift means are employed.
The instant invention may therefore, may be viewed as a response to the many above set forth economic, practical and environment difficulties in the art.